38 LOCAL NON-PROFITS RECEIVE NEARLY $80,000 IN HEALTH NEW ENGLAND DEIB GRANTS
Posted on November 6, 2024
38 LOCAL NON-PROFITS RECEIVE NEARLY $80,000 IN HEALTH NEW ENGLAND DEIB GRANTS TO ADVANCE YOUTH HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Programs address social determinants of health
SPRINGFIELD, MA – (October 28, 2024) – Health New England has awarded $80,000 in grants to non-profit organizations that work to advance youth health and well-being in Western Massachusetts. The company’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Grants went to 38 organizations in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties.
Health New England’s DEIB mission is to improve the health and lives of people in our community as it applies to individuals of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and levels of ability. We are committed to advancing equitable health outcomes for all members of our community.
Health New England’s DEIB Grants are designed to fund local non-profit organizations that focus on health equity and engage around at least one social determinant of health (SDOH). SDOHs are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect health, quality of life, and life expectancy. These conditions may include socioeconomic status, food insecurity, education, access to health care, safe housing, discrimination, violence, and trauma, etc.
Health New England focused this year’s DEIB grants on youth health and well-being after a Springfield Public Schools Youth Health Survey revealed that more than four in ten surveyed eighth-grade students felt so sad or hopeless for two weeks or more that they stopped participating in some usual activities. The grant winners’ programs and projects must also assist youths and adolescents gain what the World Health Organization’s Adolescent Well-being Framework states they need to thrive:
• Good health and optimum nutrients
• Connectedness, positive values, and contribution to society
• Safety and a supportive environment
• Learning, competence, education, skills, and employability
• Agency and resilience
The 2024 Health New England’s DEIB grants winners are:
Berkshire County
• Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield), Playwright Mentoring Program
• Berkshire Bounty (Great Barrington), Food Purchase Program
• Berkshire Pride (Pittsfield), Empowerment and Well-being: After-School Program for LGBTQ+ Teens & Tweens
• Roots Rising (Pittsfield), Roots Rising’s Youth Crews
Hampden County
• Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee, Inc. (Chicopee), Haven Teen Program
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc. (Holyoke), Teen Membership and Resilience Program
• Breaking Oppression, Inc. (Springfield), Youth Alternatives to Violence Project Summer Facilitator Workshop Certification Program
• Follow My Steps Foundation (Springfield), Thrive Over Survive
• Girl Scouts of Central and Western MA (Holyoke), Community-Based Programs
• Girls Inc. of the Valley (Holyoke), Strong, Smart & Bold After-School Programs
• Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity (West Springfield), Affordable Housing Solutions
• Hispanic American Library (Springfield), Cultura En Colores
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services, Inc. (Springfield), No Cap Sis
• Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) (Springfield), MOCHA Youth Mentoring Pilot
• South End Community Center, Inc. (Springfield), Out-of-School Time Programming
• Way Finders (Springfield), Healthy in Holyoke
• West of the River Chamber Foundation (Agawam), High School Student Ambassador Program
Hampshire County
• Center for Human Development’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County (Amherst), CHD’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County
• Congregation B’nai Israel (Abundance Farm) (Northampton), Shefa: Farming and Food Justice Teen Internship and Apprenticeship
• The Pioneer Valley Waldorf Association, DBA: The Hartsbrook School (Hadley), Health and Wellness Curriculum
Franklin County
• Música Franklin (Greenfield), Música Franklin After-School Program
Worcester County
• North Star Family Services, Inc. (Leominster), Bonnie’s Place, family homeless shelter
Multiple Counties
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western Mass. (West Springfield), One-to-one mentoring services to youth
• Children’s Advocacy Center of Franklin County and North Quabbin Area, Inc. (Greenfield), Creating a Culture of Belongingness within Schools
• Christina’s House (Springfield), Healthy Living Program
• Community Action Pioneer Valley (Greenfield), Youth & Workforce Development Programs/ShoutOut!
• Extreme Kid, Inc. (Ludlow), Urban Excellence
• It Takes a Village (Huntington), Increasing social equity and resilience in teens through a school-based Free Store model
• Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts (Springfield), Steps to Success
• Just Roots (Greenfield), Just Roots Food Access for Youth & Families Program
• Pathlight, Inc. (Springfield), Whole Selves
• The Performance Project (Springfield), First Generation
• Revitalize Community Development Corporation (CDC) (Springfield), Youth Nutrition Program
• Springfield Pride Parade Organization (Springfield), Safe Space After School Program
• Springfield School Volunteers (Springfield), Project Coach
• Tapestry Health (Springfield), Youth Sexual & Reproductive Health
• West Springfield Boys & Girls Club (West Springfield), Social-Emotional Learning Resource Program
• Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (Springfield), Young Women’s Initiative Program
“Since COVID-19, youth health and well-being have been a regional priority for Health New England. We are proud to support organizations that are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of youth and adolescents,” said Katie Bruno, Health New England’s Public Health and Wellness Program Manager. “These grants highlight so many great regional organizations that share Health New England’s commitment to advancing and empowering the next generation to lead a healthy, successful life.”
Health New England, a not-for-profit health plan, continues to invest in the health and well-being of the people in the communities it serves. In its sixth year, the Health New England DEIB Grants program has awarded nearly $520,000 to local non-profits addressing health equity in Western and Central Massachusetts.
About Health New England
Based in Springfield, Massachusetts, Health New England is a not-for-profit health plan serving members in Massachusetts and Connecticut. A wholly owned subsidiary of Baystate Health, Health New England offers a range of health care plans in the commercial, Medicaid and Medicare markets. For more information, visit healthnewengland.org.
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